Publication Rates for Oral and Poster Abstracts from the American Podiatric Medical Association: 2010–2014

Abstract

Background: The quality of national society conferences is often assessed indirectly by analyzing the journal publication rates for the abstracts presented. Studies have reported rates from 67.5% to 76.7% for oral abstracts and 23.2% to 55.8% for poster abstracts presented at national foot and ankle society conferences. However, no study has evaluated the abstract to journal publication rate for the American Podiatric Medical Association's (APMA's) annual conference. Methods: All presented abstracts from the 2010 to 2014 conferences were compiled. PubMed and Google Scholar searches were performed, and the number of abstracts presented, publication rate, mean time to publication, and most common journals of publication were determined. These results were then compared with those for the 2010 to 2014 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons' conferences. Results: Of 380 abstracts presented, 142 (37.4%) achieved publication, most often in the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association. The oral abstract publication rate was 45.2% (14 of 31), with a mean time to publication of 24.2 months (range, 0–47 months). The poster publication rate was 36.7% (128 of 349), with a mean time to publication of 16.3 months (range, 0–56 months). Significant differences were identified between the two societies. Conclusions: The overall abstract to journal publication rate for the 2010 to 2014 APMA conferences was 37.4%, and, expectedly, oral abstracts achieved publication more often than posters. Moving forward, a concerted effort between competing societies seems necessary to increase research interest, institutional support, and formal mentorship for future generations of foot and ankle specialists.